Happening This Week: A Two-Night Only Tasting Menu Marrying East Asian Flavors + Natural Wines

(SPOT.ph) As far as wine pairings go, you can never go wrong with medium-rare steak and a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon, or seared salmon with Chardonnay. But for those willing to explore the vastness of wine pairings, here's an offbeat (yet delish!) iteration to consider. Your Local and wine shop Some Love are marrying the flavors and intricacies of East Asian food—specifically South Korean which is Chef Patrick Go's forte—and natural wines (yup, that's a thing and it's about time you gave them a try!) in a limited-time only tasting menu available only on April 27 and 28. 

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Here's what you can expect on the Your Local x Some Love six-course tasting menu:

Quick recap: Your Local—whose kitchen is now spearheaded by Chef Patrick Go—is a go-to for dishes full of Asian flavors and modern flair. Some Love is an online purveyor for natural wines—i.e. wine made with handpicked grapes not sprayed with pesticides or herbicides, and made sans additives, which typically results in "wilder," livelier sips. 

The six-course degustation begins with the light, refreshing, and fizzy 2022 Delinquente "Weeping Juan" from South Australia. This fruity wine with strawberry and cream notes is versatile in a way that it's recommended to be paired with three dishes that have their own distinct flavors.

There's the Brie, with crisp but soft sourdough topped with whipped and creamy brie, pork floss, yuzu, and bits of basil leaves; Kimbap, which uses cured tuna and rice, wrapped in seaweed, and sprinkled with seaweed powder; and the Yukhoe, a salmon tartare, ssamjang, daikon kimchi, and lemon, with bits of crunchy mantou.

On to the second glass of wine, the 22020 La Soeur Cadette 'Chablis'—another white wine with a sweet aroma and tart notes that bring to mind citrus. It's meant to be paired with Drunken Chicken and Ochazuke. For the former, the poultry doesn't look or taste what you'd think "drunk" looks or tastes like, but it's flavorful either way; it's got a slice of poached chicken with a creamy and herbaceous ginger scallion beurre blanc, topped with lumpfish caviar and basil. The Ochazuke has fresh halibut in a bowl of nori gohan and a comforting dashi broth; it's then topped with a white ponzu foam and bonito XO sauce. 

Circling back to the steak-red wine pairing, the tasting menu ends with a glass of 2021 Domaine Bobinget 'Hanami' that's first sweet and light on the tongue, but is then followed by a forceful tannin. This pairs with the Cantonese-style Beef cooked in a dark garlicky sauce, plus kale, cauliflower, and a sprinkle of Gran Padano shavings and nori. 

The tasting menu ends with the Berry and Potato, which you could choose to pair with the red wine—if there's still some left in your glass, that is. This dessert features a power tandem of strawberry bingsu and matcha mousse, topped with honey-butter chips.

If you find yourself in Makati City, this not-to-be-missed collaboration is happening on April 27 and 28, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., priced at P3,640 per head excluding serving charge.

Your Local is at 106 Esteban, Legazpi Village, Makati City. For reservations, visit tasteless.ph. For more information, check out Your Local's Facebook page.

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